Robert Zurawin responded:
>The Kalonymos name dates to the 13th century ... originally from Lucca,
>Italy, and then Mainz, Germany...
The name Kalonymos is etymologically of Greek origin: "kalon" ("beautiful"
or "good") and "onymos" ("name"). It is a Hellenic equivalent of the Hebrew
name Shem-Tov. Could the 13th century Italian bearers of the name have
migrated earlier from the Aegean peninsula? At any rate, as Dr. Zurawin
indicated, there is no apparent association of the name with the concept
of posthumous naming.
Gerald Murray, Ph.D.
Assoc. Prof. of Anthropology and Linguistics
U. of Florida
Gainesville, Florida